Barnaut "Grande Reserve" Brut Champagne

Light yellow-gold. Intense, mineral-laced aromas of blood orange, dried pear and anise, with a suave floral quality gaining power with air. Chewy and precise on the palate, offering bitter pear skin, redcurrant and honeysuckle flavors plus a suggestion of buttery brioche. Finishes sappy and long, leaving notes of toasty lees and orange pith behind. (JR)

Last week I had the chance to meet and taste with Philippe Seconde, whose family has been making Barnaut since 1874. They might be the oldest grower-producer in Champagne. His Grande Reserve is a blend of 2/3 Pinot Noir and 1/3 Chardonnay from the Grand Cru village of Bouzy on the south facing slope of the mountain of Reims. This wine has been fractionally blended since the beginning, and Philippe joked that perhaps one of the many bubbles had a few molecules of the 1874 in it! This is a pure expression of Pinot Noir with a lot of round cherry fruit and excellent acidity. It is dosed at 6g/l.